Facebook adds mixed colours for the family emoji

Facebook has rolled out a number of new emoji to represent the diversity of families. The feature is now live on desktop and the mobile site but not yet on Messenger or the mobile app. While they may not cover all variations just yet (there’s over 52,000 options) it’s a step in the right direction.

Snapchat to launch scripted content

Media sharing platform Snapchat may be hosting original scripted content in the near future. Their first dive into the area (Literally Can’t Even in 2015) was knocked by critics as awful. Despite this, their seem headstrong on getting content out on the platform potentially towards the end of 2018.

Capture 360-degree content in Facebook

Facebook has added support for capturing 360-degree video and images from within the app. Both Android and iOS will have access to the update, including the ability to zoom in and tag people you know. The content can also be used as cover photos. Access the ‘360 photo’ option from the top of the News Feed.

Upload video directly to LinkedIn

Users of LinkedIn on Android or iOS will now be able to upload video directly to the site. The change aims to allow users to highlight professional work and in-progress projects to their networks. Of course, any and all types of video content can be uploaded hoping to bring the platform up to date with features on competitor platforms.

Facebook’s redesigned News Feed now on mobile

Earlier this year Facebook redesigned the Trending News section for desktop in a bid to stamp out fake news or misleading links. Now, the updated features are available to mobile users from the app’s navigation. The feature is being rolled out to US users but, with enough success, eventually to the rest of the world.

Instagram replies now nested in threads

Replying to comments on Instagram is now that bit easier with the newest update. Comment threads will help you follow conversations and make it easier to see who replies to what. Once the update rolls out to all users, clicking a ‘Reply’ button underneath any comment will group those responses together, tagging the user of the comment.

Users can now pinch to zoom on Pinterest

Seeing intricate details of images on Pinterest is now a lot easier with the ability to zoom in and pin. The visual search feature has also been updated to locate more objects inside an image, such as objects in a room or items of clothing. The update will eventually be available to both iOS and Android users and even works with GIFs.

Facebook applies visual updates to News Feed

Facebook has started rolling out visual updates to their News Feed aimed at making it easier to navigate and read. Content will start to feel similar to Messenger, with bubbles for comments and circle display pictures. Finer details include more legible typography, larger link previews and updated icons.

Facebook downranking fake video links

Facebook will start to penalise and downrank link content with fake play buttons in the preview image. The posts in question feature cover images that appear as videos but simply link offsite. Those who use these scam-like tactics will start to notice a decrease in in reach, although Facebook won’t be deleting them unless they break some other rule in the ToS.

Read more about Facebook downranking content here.

Facebook releases updates to Stories Camera

Facebook have released updates to Camera which now allow users to go live, shoot two-second GIFs and create full screen text posts with coloured backgrounds. Facebook Camera then lets you share this content to your Stories, direct messages or the standard News Feed. These updates come as a bid to keep up with similar features on platforms like Instagram Stories.

Facebook launches video discovery feature ‘Watch’

Facebook looks to take on TV with Watch, a video-only discovery feature. US users will be some of the first to gain access to original programming on mobile desktop and the Facebook TV app. The feature will include recommendations based on viewing history, as well as popular content based on different engagement metrics.

YouTube updates Video Manager options

YouTube announced a number of changes affecting how Video Manager displays which content is earning and added an option for creators to appeal those that aren’t. The changes, rolling out over the coming weeks, come after many companies left the platform, fed up with their ads appearing on questionable content. One helpful feature, a traffic light system, will show advertisers which videos are eligible.

Google to launch Snapchat competitor ‘Stamp’

Google may be about to launch a Snapchat competitor, reportedly called Stories for Google Accelerated Mobile Pages initiative (or Stamp for short). The app will function similar to the Discover section of Snapchat, showing content from a variety of sources in a magazine-style design. There’s a possibility Stamp will start to appear in Google-related apps and platforms in the coming weeks.

Shared livestreaming on Instagram

Instagram has created a new feature allowing users to stream live with friends of their choice. Think of it as similar to a skype call only during a live stream. Users can add friends to their stream while live and remove them just as easy. Shared streams can easily be added to stories or deleted just like standard streams.

Send videos from within the YouTube app

A new update to the YouTube app allows users to direct message videos to family and friends in private conversations without having to leave the app. Gone are the days of copying and pasting links and swapping between apps. Other features in the update include the ability to chat with both text and emoji, reply with videos and invite other users to group chats.

This week’s 5 most important social media changes

What’s changed in the last seven days? What does it mean?

Facebook Stories going public and launching on desktop, Giphy is monetising, Facebook is making a video chat device and changing rankings for slow websites.

Let’s take a look at these changes in more detail.

Facebook Stories is coming to desktop

Facebook is testing Stories on the desktop version of their social media platform. Currently the feature, heavily styled on Snapchat, is only available on mobile apps sitting above the News Feed. On the desktop version it will be available from the right-hand column. Currently it’s only in a testing stage and the rollout is expected soon.

Facebook to punish slower loading websites

Facebook will start to give precedence to websites that load faster, negatively impacted Pages with links that load slowly. The update will be gradually rolled out across the world, allowing link publishers to make necessary changes in preparation for the change. Slower loading sites may start to see lower referral traffic if they do not take action to make improvements.

Building 8 lab working on video chat service

Facebook’s Building 8 lab is reportedly working on a video chat device for home users. The device features a laptop sized screen and may be announced at the next F8 developers conference. The device is currently under lockdown but is undergoing field tests. Facebook is also working on an in-home smart speaker to rival that of Amazon’s Echo and Google Home.

Stories are going public

Stories will now have a public options after Facebook rolled out new changes to the image sharing feature. The new feature is only available to users that allow public followers, but the content can be viewed by anyone beyond their network. It’s not yet known when the feature may be available on Pages and Facebook doesn’t have a solid rollout timeframe yet.

Giphy to monetise their image-serving platform

Giphy has announced they will start to monetise their image serving platform. They will begin testing sponsored GIFs in messaging services (think WhatsApp and friends). Users searching GIFs may be served sponsored content first, potentially ranked above the organic results similar to the top results on Google’s Search Engine Results Page.

Messenger Platform updates to version 2.1

Facebook continue on their path of monetising products with a major update to Messenger Platform. Users will now have access to a seamless process for payments inside the application, new call-to-action buttons (Shop Now, Get Support, Get Updates, Play Now & Get Started) and software-development kit extensions.

Facebook Live integrates 4K and Gear VR with 360-degree video

Facebook’s live streaming application has received upgrades by way of 4K video support for 360-degree content viewed with smart devices like VR headsets. Gear VR users will also now have live playback features. Content creators will soon have access to heatmap metrics reporting on where and when their video content received the most engagement.

Access new metrics in the Instagram Platform API

New insights and metrics are now available to business accounts on Instagram following an update to the Platform API. Enhanced data will allow tighter tracking of organic content compared to third-party tools as well as new tools for comment moderation. The update is available to current partners and will roll out to all users soon.

Twitter releases updates to the Notifications tab

The mobile and web versions of Twitter have upgraded the Notifications section to show users more of what people they follow are up to. Notifications will now include things like user follows, reminders, trending tweets and sharing links. Previously this info was only sent through push notifications but now these are all featured together in the one place.

Create multiple image posts on LinkedIn

LinkedIn continues their catch up game with other major social media platforms with the launch of multi-image posts. The new feature became available on iOS recently with desktop and Android to follow. This means users will now be able to upload multiple images in a single post allowing photo albums to be created and shared.